2000
#9,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Mecham
Derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a river" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,775 Americans carry the last name Mecham. That puts it at #7,668 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,781 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mecham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Mecham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.8K
1 in 71,781
Census rank
#7,668
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,164 bearers of the surname Mecham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7668th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mecham
The surname Mecham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period, specifically the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from an Old English word "mece," which meant a sword or a weapon. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a swordsmith or someone skilled in the art of weaponry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document mentions a landowner named Mecham residing in the county of Gloucestershire.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Mecham, Mechambe, and Mechamps. These variations were common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and the influence of regional dialects.
In the 13th century, records indicate a Sir William Mecham, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I in the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was born around 1260 and gained recognition for his military prowess and loyalty to the crown.
The Mecham family established roots in various regions of England, including Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire. Place names like Mecham's Farm and Mecham's Manor can still be found in these areas, reflecting the historical presence of the surname.
Another notable figure was John Mecham, born in 1548 in Staffordshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Mecham family settled in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Thomas Mecham, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and became a prominent landowner and farmer.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Mecham surname continued to spread across the United States, with several individuals achieving prominence in various fields. For instance, William Mecham (1789-1864) was a successful businessman and politician who served as a member of the Ohio State Legislature.
It is worth noting that the surname Mecham has also been associated with influential figures in more recent history, though the focus of this report remains on the historical origins and early records of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mecham
Among Census respondents with the surname Mecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Mecham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Mecham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 3,817
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 146
- Two or more races3.0% · 127
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 27
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mecham
Mecham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#8,356
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,962
+630 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 1.34
Rank movement Up 663 places
2020
#7,668
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,164
+202 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Up 688 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,019 | 3,332 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,356 | 3,962 | 1.34 | +630 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 663 places |
| 2020 | #7,668 | 4,164 | 1.39 | +202 bearers (+5.1%) | Up 688 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Mecham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,356 | #7,668 | 8.2% |
| Count | 3,962 | 4,164 | 5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.34 | 1.39 | 4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mecham bearers went from 3,962 to 4,164 (+5.1% change). The surname moved up 688 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,356 to #7,668.
FAQ
Mecham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mecham?
Name Census estimates that about 4,775 living Americans carry the surname Mecham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,781 residents.
How common is Mecham?
Mecham ranks #7,668 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.39 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,164 people with the surname Mecham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,775), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.39 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mecham.
Has Mecham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mecham went from 3,962 recorded bearers to 4,164. That is an increase of 202 (+5.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,356 to #7,668.
What does the Census say about the background of Mecham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mecham, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Mecham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (3,817 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mecham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Mecham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Mecham mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "homestead by a river" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Mecham (1.39 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Mecham?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Mecham at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.